State varsity proposals defy logic

Tathya.in, March 23, 2010
Bhubaneswar:23/March/2010


Educationists are not finding any justification for a State University in Parliakhemundi, while the State Task Force on Higher Education has favoured the same.

While there is a State University at Berhampur, hardly 94 kilometres away, proposal for setting another in the District Headquarters of Gajapati, experts in the field of Higher Education find no rationalization

However there is not a State University in districts like Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Nuapada Kandhamal, Malkangiri and Koraput and Task Force is mum.

If Gajapati is a tribal and backward district, so are the Nuapada, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur which are even further remotely located compared to Gajapati, said Digambara Patra.

Dr.Patra, who teaches in American University of Beirut sees no rhyme and reason behind the recommendations of the Task Force.

In any case Parliakhemundi could be given a State University based on bordering location then why can not be at Nuapada, Dharamgarh or Umarkote?

In addition there would be two State Universities in one undivided district, Ganjam, whereas rest of the 12 undivided district would have either one state University or there won't be any State Universities in those districts.

Question is being raised that if Parliakhemundi have got a Unitary University and Bhawanipatna and Jeypore would have got State Universities or all of them would have got State Universities in South Western Odisha.

Same thing can be said about Bhawanipatna and Balangir in Western Odisha.

Remote and far away locations from present State Universities (Sambalpur/Berhampur) were recommended for Unitary Universities and where as closer locations were recommended for State Universities for their affiliated colleges, which defies logic.

Similarly why three are more specialized Universities such as Medical Education University, Management University and Open University recommended in Cuttack-Bhubaneswar-Puri region.

Cuttack has the specialized National Law University, Bhubaneswar has specialized Utkal University of Culture and OUAT and Puri has specialized Sri Jagganath Sanskrit University, said he.

Besides many national institutions and laboratories are there in their fold.

For inclusive growth within Odisha it would have been nice if SCB Medical College would have been made Unitary University and Medical Education University would have been given to VSS medical college instead of Unitary status.

Similarly Management University could be located in Bhawanipatna in South Western Odisha for KBK-Boudh-Kandhamal region.

And the Open University could come up in Keonjhar in North Odisha for Angul-Keonjhar- Mayurbhanj- Balasore region, said he.